


Pale Blue Eyes

by Bluesact



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, College AU, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff and Angst, I was thinking of the half of it, Photographer!Jamie, Planthead Jamie, Slow Burn, Teacher!Dani, Then it hit me that I love this prompt, aH I love useless gay flirting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:22:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27701320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluesact/pseuds/Bluesact
Summary: Jamie works in the school paper and runs an underground business of writing love letters for anyone who is willing to pay her a good sum of money. One day, Edmund O’Mara requests for her to write him a love letter to Danielle Clayton.
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie, Hannah Grose/Owen Sharma, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Rebecca Jessel/Peter Quint
Comments: 26
Kudos: 134





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I've been bored and this one sprung up out of nowhere. I just wanted to post it but know that this is not edited and I'll be editing it again tomorrow because it's currently 3:30 AM. I hope you enjoy it! Been loving Dani and Jamie for 1.5 months now! Someone let me know how to get over the sadness from the series :((
> 
> Also! It's probably around 5-6 chapters but I haven't changed the amount of chapters.

Jamie loves routine and boredom. At least that’s what she tells herself. She doesn’t bother much with romance and relationships because they’re just too much to deal with. With school, work, a close-knit of friends, and plants, she tells herself that she’s content. 

She walks the same path to class every single day. Through the football field, cutting through the library, and into the art building. She’s done this for 3 years now and could probably do it with her eyes closed. After classes are done for the day, you can find her holed up at The Daily Bly’s office. She would either be writing articles or developing photos in the darkroom. On some occasions, there would be people coming in and out of the office paying her to write love letters to their significant others or women they want to woo. As you can see, Jamie runs an underground business of writing letters. Although unusual for someone who grew up with a family of 0, Jamie doesn’t have a choice but to squeeze any ounce of talent she has to fund her education and life. Nothing could shake the drive she has to prove herself to anyone who has doubted her. 

On this very fine day, Jamie finds herself wrapped up with work. Thankfully, Hannah is there to help with some of the articles that are behind. They are trying to sort out the interviews from the Psychology faculty, regarding the relationship between different amounts of workload and stress. Oh, how ironic. Things only start to go south when Edmund O’Mara came knocking in looking disheveled. 

“Is Jamie here?” He blurts out, oblivious to everyone’s eyes on him. 

Hannah’s elbows Jamie. Jamie snatches off her earphones annoyed, “What?” she spat. 

Hannah nods her head at Edmund.

“Oh fuck.” She murmurs under her breath. She paces towards Edmund. 

She eyes him, “You alright there, mate? What do you need?” 

“I.., uh,...I Ca...Can we talk privately?”

Jamie raises a brow in confusion and reluctantly leads him to the backroom. 

“So what are you on about coming here in the middle of a busy day asking for a Jamie?”

Edmund looks flustered. He speaks with such a soft voice that Jamie can barely hear.

“I..uh...I need your help.”

“Spit it out, mate. Or else I might just tell you to fuck off. I’m having a rough day here. Don’t waste my fucking time.” 

Edmund takes a moment for himself and inhales a deep breath. “I need your help to write a girl a letter. I’m willing to pay 100 pounds.”

“You went through all this just for that?” Jamie holds back a laugh. “Funny looking man you are.”

Edmund seems annoyed and Jamie immediately composes herself. She doesn’t want to lose another paying customer. 

“For who? And when do you need it by?”

Edmund tries his best to be stern, trying to regain his pride. “For Danielle Clayton. Here’s her picture. She’s in Educational Psychology. I need it in 3 weeks, the same day as today.”

“Cool, I’m going gather as much info as I can, I promise” Jamie states as she receives the picture, not bothering to look at it, she shoves it in her jacket pocket. “But, for now, You pay me half, and then the other half when I hand you the letter.”

Edmund struggles to get the 50 pounds out of his pocket and hands it to Jamie. 

“Thank you for the service,” he mentions.

Jamie sighs, “No probs. Off you go then. Meet me back here in 3 weeks.”

Edmund agrees and bolts out of the office as fast as he can, leaving Jamie to trail behind him. 

“What was that about?” Hannah pries.

“Usual business stuff. Just some dumb chap trying to push his luck on a lucky female.” She responds.

Jamie hears Hannah huff a disapproving sound. “I’ve been telling you to find a proper job, Jamie. This business of yours is just gonna lead you to serious trouble.”

“Hannah…”

“Look, I know you’re struggling. But this is not the way to get money. You could get arrested for impersonation. Or reported for even trying to get close to people to get information. You’re smarter than this. I know you are.”

Jamie just sits there, speechless. Her mind wanders off to a place she barely touches. Thinking about the number of times she has fucked up “proper” jobs. She believes at this point that she’s no good for anything. The longest job she had besides The Daily Bly was a gardening job in a vast mansion that she fucked up because of her stupidity. She let her feelings for the au pair get in the way. This led her to admit her crush for the other girl and resulted in her banishment from the manor. Jamie knows she’s just orphan trash.

Hannah stares at Jamie lovingly. Jamie knows Hannah just wants the best for her. 

“Han, you know I just can’t right now. I got rent coming up and …”

“Jamie…,” Hannah warns, “I don’t wanna hear it anymore. One job. You promise me one job and that’s it. I know people for a proper job, you can...”

Jamie cuts in.“Yeah, yeah, one job. I promise,” She looks Hannah dead in the eyes. Trying to get Hannah to believe her. 

Hannah sighs and she nods. Jamie replies with a mutual agreement. 

“Come to dinner with Owen and me tonight. I worry about you, you know.”

“I’m going for a walk. I promise you tonight, Han, tonight.”

Jamie leaves. She can’t bear letting down Hannah. Hannah and Owen have been the only family she’s had ever since she moved to London. She knows they’ll always worry about her. That’s how she knows they care. But right now, she just can’t handle this guilt brewing from the pit of her stomach, knowing that this isn’t the last job she’s going to do, that she has lied to Hannah.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s currently 6:02 PM and Jamie finds herself strolling at Bly Park amidst the autumn breeze. She grounds herself by focusing on the red, orange, and yellow, fluttering down to earth. 

Something or rather someone catches her eye. She sees glimpses of blonde, sedentary on a bench. She’s shivering and shaking from the cold wind. Jamie thinks to herself that it’s odd to be outside, cold, with no proper insulation. She looks around to see if there is anybody else around and finds that it is indeed only her and the blonde. She debates on whether she should walk over and do something. Deep within herself, she knows that things like these only lead to various messes that she can’t handle but somehow today, she feels different. She feels her legs moving faster than her brain. She feels a pull, a want, a need.

“You good?” She asks with care. When the other woman looked up, all Jamie is drawn to is the intense grey-blue of her eyes. For a moment, she is stunned. 

“Excuse me?” The blonde replies. She’s startled. 

“I was asking if you’re okay.” 

“Oh. Yeah, I am. It’s just a tad cold.” She blushes. 

“No worries, there. I was over there and you were shivering so I thought I’d come over and offer you some form of heat.” 

This notion is returned with a solid but shy, “Oh…”

Jamie knows she’s being flirty. She’s always the type to flirt, especially with pretty girls. That doesn’t promise the relationship going anywhere though. She likes her routine, the boredom of no string attached.

“I’m Jamie Taylor,” she extends her hand. 

“Dani Clayton.”

“I promise I wasn’t being a creep. Just thought you might need a jacket or a company is all.”

“Yeah, no, I know.”

“So, what brings you out here in the cold? With nothing but a white shirt and green skirt?”

Dani turns pink. She’s embarrassed because the real reason she’s out here is that her roommate locked her out of the room to have some fun, sexy times with her boyfriend. She can’t bring herself to tell Jamie that. 

“I just...I just…I’m not cold! I wanted to see the sunset.” The pink on her face gets deeper and deeper.

“Yeah, right. The sunset, in this weather, with the oh, so cold breeze.” She elongates the statement for a dramatic effect, “So worth dying of hypothermia.” Jamie smirks.

“Yeah super worth it!” Dani stands her ground. 

“C’mon, love, just admit that you’re cold. It’s so easy. Just say it and my spare jacket’s all yours.” Jamie’s smug smile grows wider.

“I promise I don’t bite.” She further teases. 

Dani gives in and takes the jacket. Turns out Jamie can be quite persuasive, especially with that smile of hers. 

“There you go.” A genuine smile is plastered on Jamie’s face. 

Dani puts it on and immediately succumbs to the warmth that it brings. 

“How did you know I was lying?” Dani looks up at Jamie, finally seeing how beautiful the brunette is. 

“I might have a hunch from the way you kept shivering and shaking like you’re about to die any second.”

“Thank you… I really cannot repay you for this.”

“No problem. Always gotta help those around you, “ Jamie states, “Do you mind me sitting beside you now that you’ve confirmed that I’m not a creep?”

“Oh my god! I forgot! Yes, please sit.” Panic rises in Dani’s blood. She feels like she’s been the rudest person ever.  
Jamie embraces the comfort that Dani exudes. She rarely has moments like these with people. Wishing she has someone to share feelings like this with but never once allowing herself to. 

She looks to her right, observing the pattern that Dani breathes, the rise and fall of her chest, and the inviting eyes that are looking right at her. She feels her heart thumping in a familiar rhythm, a sense of tingle and butterfly expanding from the depths of her chest and spreading out like wildfire. She can tell this wasn’t a good idea but for once, she lets it suck her in. Maybe playing with fire isn’t so bad, she just has to make sure she doesn’t feed it more coal. 

She needs to break the moment. Cancel it out so she would not do anything stupid. “Not going to repeat my idiocy,” she thought. 

“You gonna tell me the real reason you’re out here? Cause I don’t like being lied to, Dani Clayton”

Dani huffs and goes forward with the truth. She closes her eyes in hope that it would lessen the embarrassment that she feels. 

“My roommate, Rebecca, locked me out of the room. She was having some nasty sex with her boyfriend. I have nowhere to go and no jacket to hide in.” 

Jamie smiles. A full smile covers her face. 

“That’s it?”

“Yeah. That’s it.”

“Hey, you know that’s nothing to be embarrassed about right? Things like this happen. It’s a university for god’s sake.”

“I know. I just, I don’t know.”

“You got any plans right now?”

“Not that I know of.”

“C’mon, follow me.”

Dani pauses for a minute. Deciding whether she should be following a total stranger. She ignores the “stranger alert” memo in her head and goes after Jamie. 

“Hey! Slow down! Wait for me!”

Jamie stops in her tracks and looks back. Her vision has been blessed with a cute girl stomping her feet so fast that she looks like a replica of an animated Lego Minifigure.

Jamie just can’t with this girl. 

Dani is now walking right beside Jamie. They’re walking at a slow pace.  
Both parties not wanting this moment to end. 

“What are you majoring in, Clayton?” Jamie asks.

“I’m in Educational Psychology, you?” 

“Photography & Journalism,” Jamie continued, “Don’t be fooled though, Clayton, my major doesn’t define me…,” she pauses for a thrilling effect, “I’m more of a Dani expert than a photo or writing expert. I can tell you’re cold from a mile away.”

Dani laughs at this. It’s nice to hear that somebody enjoys her company.

“What brings you to the park?” It’s Dani’s turn to ask.

“What’s an American like you doing here?” Jamie challenges, wanting to dodge Dani’s question. 

Dani stares down. Knowing that Jamie did not want to answer so, she decides to be the bigger person and open up.

“Taking a chance, I guess. People home weren’t the people I want to spend eternity with.”

There was a moment of silence between them. A silent understanding, Jamie empathizes, knowing what that feels like, due to her sexuality. They both walk enjoying the sound of their shoes hitting the ground in unison. 

“Where are we going?”

“Well, since we can’t bring you home, might as well come to my place for tea.”

“On the first night, we meet? Oh Jamie, No.”

Dani does not know where that came from. Her stomach boils at the sound of that. Was she flirting? No, it can’t be. It’s just a friend thing, right? Dani assures herself that she’s straight. She is. She must be. She cannot dare question her sexuality. There’s no room to. She has her mom to let down, not to mention her homophobic friends. 

The panic subsides when she hears Jamie stop walking. 

“Oh, Jesus!” Jamie Panics. She raises her arm to look at her watch. It’s 7:30 PM.

She almost forgot about dinner with Hannah and Owen. She decides it’s too late to ditch Dani so she went ahead and open her phone to text Hannah about a plus one coming in. 

“Dani, you hungry? Do you mind if we raincheck on the cuppa and go to my friend’s flat for dinner?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to impose.”

“Don’t worry. You’re my responsibility. I just texted them and they said you’re invited.”

Jamie abruptly, without hesitation, went ahead to entwine her hand with Dani’s, earning a hot flash from the top of Dani’s body to her toes. 

Jamie realizes what she’s done yet has no power in her to say something. Both women end up not saying anything till they reach Hannah and Owen’s place. Both also secretly not wanting it to end.


	2. Nowhere Near

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani and Jamie grow closer. A journey of understanding ensues. Jamie deals with writing the letter for Edmund and balancing her school paper job. Dani makes bad tea and kisses Jamie. They both are idiots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was high on thinking of Dani and Jamie's dates. These 2 cuties deserve better. Leave a comment or kudos if you enjoy the story! And if there are any good ideas for dates I'd be up to writing them in future chapters. I'm always open for prompts too. Have a good Thanksgiving everyone!

Dinner is running smoothly. Hannah and Owen ask the usual questions, about where Dani is from and her date of birth, etc. The conversation shifts from that to astrology and horoscopes. Turns out Dani was born on the 23rd of March and she’s 21 years old. Not too far from Jamie. Jamie’s 23 and in her final year of university. Dani is also a Pisces. She notes that Dani explicitly said that she’s very dreamy and idealistic. Jamie doesn’t believe in horoscopes but for some reason, she finds the idea of a Pisces and Virgo pairing (her and Dani) endearing. She erases the thought as soon as it emerges. 

Owen excuses himself in the middle of dinner because he has to prepare the raw materials for the opening of his restaurant the next day. 

“Fellas, I’m tea-rribly sorry but I have to go and dessert you all.” He sips his tea and winks at Hannah. 

“Oh god, this man. Someone stuff his mouth, please.” Hannah tries so hard to look annoyed but of course, it doesn’t work. Owen’s remarks just cause Jamie and Dani to laugh heartily. 

“See you soon, dear.” He leans in and kisses Hannah on the cheek. “Nice to meet you, Dani. Do me a favor and keep an eye on our Jamie.”

With that, he leaves and suddenly the room grows quiet. Jamie looks at the time and she decides it’s time for her to go home and start on her side work. 

“I think we’re gonna go. I have lots of things to work on.” Jamie takes another sip of her tea and grabs her backpack. She snatches off both Dani and her’s jackets from the coat hanger as though she’s been doing it for years. The thin line between strangers and friends starts to blur. She opens the jacket so Dani can slip into it. “You good to go?” she asks, as she helps Dani straighten the creases of the jacket. Dani replies with a simple nod. 

Neither Jamie nor Dani notices how this gesture is. Hannah is the only one to raise her brow in satisfaction.

“Thank you for the lovely dinner, Hannah. It was splendid. Haven’t had a proper meal since I started college. Seems like I always manage to burn everything I cook.” Dani laughs. 

“Don’t worry, dear. Come here whenever you want. You’re always welcome. Owen and I love having guests around.”

“For sure! I’ll come by when I can!”

Dani gives Hannah her best smile. Dani doesn’t have that many friends she can trust. In her bones, she can feel that Hannah might just be it. 

“Okay, we’ll bugger off now, Han. Clayton needs to be tucked into bed.”

Dani reaches to try and tickle Jamie’s sides. “Hey! Don’t be mean! I’m no child.”

Jamie laughs and wiggles her body, to prevent getting poked by Dani’s fingers. 

“Okay bye Han!”

Jamie turns the knob in the front door and lets Dani through first. She’s about to head out when she feels Hannah’s hand on her arm, pulling her back. 

“Dani’s good for you.” Hannah warns, “Don’t let your insecurity get in the way. She’s not her.”

—————————————————————

Jamie catches up to Dani’s pace. She’s reminded of Hannah’s words. The guilt comes showering back in full force. “Forget, forget, forget,” she reminds herself, “lock it back to where it belongs, in the back room of brain. You’re not who you were a year ago. Kate’s not here. She’s across the pond now. You’re safe.”

Her anxious thoughts are interrupted by Dani’s voice. A voice that manages to ground her back to reality. A sound that Jamie will learn to love. Her voice is sweet like jazz melodies, like sounds of waves crashing onto the sand, like birds chirping in the early mornings. Jamie is drawn in. 

“This is me.” If Jamie observes carefully, she will be able to see the disappointment, written on Dani’s face.

Jamie doesn’t. She’d rather not see what’s in front of her. She’s managed to put her wall so high. This way she will not be hurt again. The mantra repeats again and again in the confines of her mind. 

“Okay. See you around then?” The words are very casual. Something a friend would say to another. Is that really what Jamie wanted? To be friends? Jamie allows herself to stare into the blue, digesting the way it provides comfort, joy, and excitement. The two girls not knowing what to say, neither wanting the night to end. 

Jamie assures herself, it’s a friendly gesture to hold her friends’ hands. She rubs her thumbs soothingly on the back of Dani’s hands. “You want to come in?” 

“Good night... Just good night.” Jamie looks down to their entangled hands, “ There are other nights... and there will be other nights.”

Dani’s longing eyes bore to the back of Jamie’s head. Comfortable silence swims around the pair.

“Good night, Jamie. Thank you for everything.” 

Dani leans up to give a careful peck on the brunette’s right cheek and walks into the building. Unbeknownst to her, that kiss meant so much to Jamie. She’s left there on the side of the road, stunned. The traces of Dani’s lips leaving a burning mark against her skin. 

—————————————————————

She stumbles into her messy apartment, alone as she’s meant to be. She takes a long, hot shower, knowing that she has to wash away the vivid traces of Dani’s soft, plump, lips. 

She doesn’t want to remember the way Dani’s touch makes her feel. She doesn’t want to acknowledge how easy it was to just let herself slip into her old ways. 

Jamie drags herself out of the shower and props herself on her work desk. She decides that it’s time to start working on the job she received earlier that day. She opens her laptop and takes out the photo of the girl. Her eyes trail to the familiar face on the photo. An unexpected realization hits her.

“Fuck! Danielle Clayton…. is Dani .” 

The Dani she just met, the Dani that was so goddamn perfect, the Dani who she adores. 

There must be a mistake. She couldn’t have had dinner with THE Danielle Clayton. What the fuck is wrong with her? Stealing clients’ prospective girlfriends now? Wait. For her to be stealing means that there needs to be something going on between her and the other party but there isn’t, so that means she’s in the clear right? Okay. She’s good. They’re friends and strictly friends, there’s no law saying she can’t be friends with the clients’ targets. 

Phew. Saved herself there. She continues to search the Daily Bly’s database. Typing in Danielle Clayton. She loves that name. Repeats it often like a prayer on her lips. Dani, Dani, Dani. As if the repetition would provide any clarity to what she’s feeling. 

She finds basic information like : 

Name: Danielle Victoria Clayton

Student ID: #162234

Date of Birth: 23 March 1999

Hometown: Iowa, United States of America

Year of Graduation: 2022

Department: Educational Psychology 

Her eyes sweep to the bottom of the page, containing information about Dani’s classes. Dani has classes every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. “Good to know that her Friday’s are off. SHITE. Nope, nope. Not going that route.” Jamie thought.

On-campus Jobs:  
\- Tutors Science for kids below the age of 12, every Saturday. 

That would mean that Dani would be holed up in the library every Saturday. That would also mean that Dani’s passion for teaching is, indeed, showing. Might be worth mentioning that in the letter. “Her caring nature”. Jamie’s good at bullshitting stuff like this. She knows it. Why would this time be any different?

Interests:

\- films: old films especially romance-dramas  
\- Big fan of Audrey Hepburn  
\- Music: Pat Benatar, Cyndi Lauper, Hall & Oates, Whitney Houston, Madonna  
\- Food & Beverages: Mac & Cheese, Pasta, Pizza, Sushi

What Jamie sees is:

\- Watch a bunch of Audrey Hepburn romance films, steal some quotes, or even grand romantic gestures  
\- Listen and quote her musical idols  
\- Ask her out at the end of the letter with some of her favorite food

Yep. That’s all. Easy money. She’s good at making letters and words pretty so that’s what she’s gonna do. Just stick the formula. It always works.

She hopes to God, if there is one, Dani won’t find out. What she doesn’t know, won’t kill her right?

—————————————————————

Jamie is in class and it’s 3:32 PM. She’s usually pretty good at paying attention but today is just not that day. She’s got loads of articles to write and loads of photos to shoot. She’s working on an article about abandoned spaces and the idea of repurposing them into a more valuable place. Her research has led her to 5 places that she needs to visit. Today, she needs to check out an abandoned greenhouse, about 30 miles away from campus. 

Her mind also wanders off to a girl. Specifically, Dani Clayton. She doesn’t seem to be able to get Dani out of her head. It’s like she’s in a constant loop of never-ending torture. That’s what Jamie likes to call it. Torture. Romance is torture. Being stuck with one person for the rest of your life isn’t romantic. It’s torture.

Although she is reluctant to succumb to a crush easily, it doesn’t stop her body from reacting in the natural ways it’s supposed to. The brain releasing chemicals to boost the racing of her heart, the pooling of sweat on her palms, and the butterflies in her stomach. Combinations that ultimately push her even further into the depths of fulfilling her body’s need for Dani.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

She’s out and about, ready to do her job. She’s got her 35mm Nikon F3 camera with her, filled with 400 ASA Kodak Portra. She’s also got her zoom lens ready. 

She walks to the parking lot, searching for her beat-up, black, 90’s sedan. She’s fumbling with her keys when she hears her.

“Jamie! Jamie!”

She turns her head and saw Dani. She can’t help but form a small smile. 

“You stalking me now, Clayton?” She teased. 

When Dani is closer, she notices that Dani is in her jacket from the day before. 

“I see you’ve made what’s mine, yours.” she points at the jacket with her eyes. 

“Uh… I...I…” she continues on with a flustered expression, struggling to take off the oversized jean jacket from her small frame. “I wanted to return it to you”

“Dani. Chill. You know I’m only teasin’, right?” Jamie responds with a smug look, “Keep it. You’ll get cold. I don’t think you have a spare one. Besides...it looks better on ya.”

Dani just grows redder. She low-key loves Jamie’s teasing.

“I...I was looking you up online, last night. I thought that since we couldn’t have tea I could bring you some today but I forgot to ask for your number. So, I found you working at the Daily Bly. They told me you were just out and I ran to catch up with you.”

“Clayton, you’re tellin’ me that you spent all night bickering with a search engine, lookin’ me up like a little school girl, runnin’ across the campus with 2 cups of hot tea, just to ask for my number?” The smirk on Jamie’s face elongates, “If I didn’t know you were straight, I’d be convinced you’re flirtin’”

Dani’s heart dropped and panic rises. She was sure that she wasn’t doing it to be lovey-dovey with Jamie. It’s a friendly gesture. That what it is. 

“No...no… I...uh... sorry…I didn’t mean to… I”

Jamie cuts in at the right moment, reassuring Dani. “Hey, hey. Dani. Look at me. Don’t worry bout it. I was only teasin’. You’re good… I loved that you came.” She took the tea off of Dani’s hand. 

Dani released a breath she doesn’t know she had been holding. She’s relieved. She isn’t ready to lose a friend she just made, let alone someone like Jamie. 

“You made this?”

“Yeah,” Dani’s beams. She looks proud.

“Okay. Let’s see what your American hands got,” Jamie gives Dani the benefit of the doubt.

Jamie drinks the tea and makes a face. 

“Sorry. I’m not the best at tea, or coffee, or any food, really,” Dani explains, “I thought that today would be different, been trying so hard at tea for 2 years now.”

“I like ya, Clayton. You’re honest.”

“Well, there’s no sugarcoating it, is there? It’s either good or bad.”

Jamie sips some more tea, gulping almost half of the cup. 

“Jamie. You don’t have to. Really. Just throw it away. It’s fine.”

“Well, you made it for me. I’ll think of it as an exclusive drink for one, Jamie Taylor. I’m gonna drink the hell out of it.” Jamie opens her car door and puts the drink inside. 

This earns a genuine grin from Dani. All the people she’s made tea for have always thrown it away. She’s used to it. It’s not a big deal but that just made Jamie’s gesture all the more significant. Her heart swells.

“Before I go, I’m gonna let you have what you came here to get…. Hand me your phone.”

Jamie presses down her number on Dani’s phone and gives it back to the owner.

“Where are you heading to?”  
“Work photo stuff.”

“What about?”

“You wouldn’t want to listen to me ramble about it. It’s pretty boring.”

Dani thinks for a second. The gears in her head, turning. 

“Can I come?” She chimes.

“You want to come?” Jamie repeats the question, in surprise.

“Yeah, I do. I saw articles that you wrote and I love the things that you explore. I doubt anything you do is boring.”

“Uh, I don’t know, Dani,” It’s not that Jamie doesn’t want to let Dani tag along. It’s more of the fact that they’re going to spend half a day alone. Jamie doesn’t know how much self-control she has. She doesn’t trust herself, with herself. 

“I promise I won’t be annoying. Please, Jay.”

At the sound of Dani pleading, Jamie doesn’t have much power. Her knees grew week at the way Dani called her Jay. No one has ever called her that before. 

“Okay. Come in.”

Dani immediately rushes to the other seat. 

Jamie looks to her right and doesn’t expect Dani to look back. They both stare at each other as Jamie composes herself to focus on the road

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't really gotten around to re-editing them, especially since I'm running on 3 hours of sleep every day but I'll do it soon so please don't hold it against me. Just wanted to cheer up the Bly Manor fandom. Thank you all for appreciating my story.
> 
> Oh! Also, I made playlists for Dani and Jamie on Spotify if you want to listen to it. 
> 
> Here are the links: 
> 
> Jamie's playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0nNP90jRrqla7Mq34W08TR?si=bB0NoeqPQz2z5ENja6yNQg
> 
> Dani's playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vF3MvZI0EJYsR33gi8bU1?si=enp2AA0rTHehiA4N9kOOaw
> 
> and this is a playlist I call Love, Dani. Songs that make me think of Dani and Jamie.
> 
> Here's the link to that: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0H70oqgZsNLOUxAMSHEDs5?si=lzIIwuYnTvaSju-ZGwwbVQ


	3. Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A peaceful adventure for the two. Dani comes with Jamie to do some work. They find comfort in each other's arms, with the soft touches and sneaky looks. Jamie feels pulled by Dani's gravity and it's getting harder and harder to resist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! 
> 
> Come listen to Pale Blue Eyes by the Velvet Underground. Most parts of this chapter relate to the song. I hope people are doing good, especially with the pandemic. 
> 
> Comment any prompt or things you'd like to see in the fic! I'm open to suggestions!

Long, boring roads lie right before them. The roads stretch out into the horizon, not allowing Jamie to figure out when it’s supposed to end. She’s driving at 80 miles per hour, wanting to arrive at her destination as fast as she can. Not long before, she had given the AUX cord to Dani. Appointing Dani as the music dictator within the confines of the 178 x 172 inches rectangular shaped metal. 

Dani is now starring into the wild abyss of the London suburbs. Her physical body is there but her soul is not present. There is a song playing in the background, enveloping the pair with stuttering hearts. 

“Sometimes I feel so happy  
Sometimes I feel so sad  
Sometimes I feel so happy  
But mostly you just make me mad  
Baby, you just make me mad”

Dani feels like she’s made the wrong choice of music. Playing a sad song in the middle of a happy, friendly, outing. She thinks of the way all life has been decided for her. The ways Karen Clayton influences every single decision in her love life. A mother would never do that you say? Oh no, they would never. Karen would only bring up kids and a husband once every 2 seconds. It helps that she’s out and about on her own now but she still has to bite her tongue when her mother calls.

She knows she could date any men on campus. There’s been a well-known queue for her hand. She’s not blind. Particularly, Edmund “Eddie” O’Mara. Ever since her intro to psych class, Eddie has been following her around like a lost puppy. Gawking her with those silly spectacles and fluffy hair, the one that would make thousands of girls swoon. Not Dani though. She doesn’t fall into the charms of conventionally attractive men that easily. She’s just different. Maybe aromantic? Not a lesbian though.

“Linger on your pale blue eyes  
Linger on your pale blue eyes”

Jamie peers on her other half. Being met with pale blue eyes. She can’t help but linger, not able to turn away, fixated. Electricity creeps up from the oceans within the locked box Jamie calls her heart. The hairs on the back of her neck strike up. 

Dani breaks the tension. She returns her attention to staring at the houses breezing by. On second thought, she jumps back to Jamie. 

She cups her palm against Jamie’s on the steering wheel. 

“Thought of you as my mountaintop  
Thought of you as my peak  
Thought of you as everything  
I've had, but couldn't keep  
I've had, but couldn't keep”

Jamie doesn’t dare look at Dani. She’s scared that by looking at her pale blue eyes, it would mean that it’s real, that she’s about to crumble and give in. She thinks this is her only way of resisting, by not looking. 

“Linger on your pale blue eyes  
Linger on your pale blue eyes”

Dani drags their entwined hands on her lap. Coddling it as if it was the most precious thing she’s ever gotten to hold. There need no words to be said. Actions speak louder than words. 

Jamie loves how Dani’s hands feel like they’re meant for her. It feels as though she’s been trying to fit the last few pieces of life, and not completing it until this very moment. She feels the oxytocin being released from her body, engulfing her with feelings of satisfaction, euphoria, and love. 

“If I could make the world as pure  
And strange as what I see  
I'd put you in a mirror  
I put in front of me  
I put in front of me”

The lyrics of the song resonate loud in the intense air. Jamie knows that that is how she views Dani. This bundle of purity is too good to be true. She can’t argue with that. Dani is the enigma pulling her out into the open.

“Linger on your pale blue eyes  
Linger on your pale blue eyes”

“You have reached your destination”

Google Maps from Jamie’s phone chimes. Alleviating the moment that has encapsulated Jamie and Dani. Jamie steers clear of the road, letting go of Dani’s hand. She searches for a sign to park. 

Dani makes out the loss of contact. She unconsciously lays her vision on to Jamie,.

“Snap a picture. It’ll last longer.”

Jamie chimes in. She knows the perfect combination of buttons to press to drive Dani crazy.

“Too bad I’m not the one with the camera,” Dani pushes back. She grabs Jamie’s camera from the back. She places her eye on the viewfinder, makes a clicking noise, imitating how a photographer would.

Jamie grins from eye to eye. 

Jamie turns off the engine and grabs her essentials. Takes her camera from Dani and closes the door of her car. She takes her light meter out and adjusts the setting on her camera.

They walk side by side into an alley and out the back. A field of grass reveals itself. Jamie marches forward. Their shoes squelch on the wet soil.

“Jamie, are you sure this is the right way?”

“No.”

“Are you taking me out to kill me?”

“Keep talking, I just might.”

That’s when they stop. They stop at the sight of a dome-shaped greenhouse. The placement seems a bit absurd. Weeds and various plants decorate the area, creating a beautiful diversity of ecosystems. 

“Whoa… how did you find this place?”

“Did my research, poked my little head here and there. The charm helps. They say charm can only get you so far but the man who said it probably ‘aven’t met me.”

That earns her a playful nudge on her arm. They share a laugh. Jamie picks up her pace and urges Dani to do the same,

“Pick it up, Clayton. Ya promised you won’t be a drag.”

\-----------------------------------

The insides of the greenhouse are even more mesmerizing than it’s exteriors. Jamie is caught in a trance. Different flora and fauna clutter the space, it was unlike anywhere she’s ever been. She dares to say that it is more beautiful than the garden she used to tend to. She strokes the walls steadily, soaking the beauty in, her eyes trace from the tip of the dome to the bottom, landing on Dani. The delicate flower of a person. 

She adjusts her camera one more time and brings the viewfinder up to her face. 

*Click*

The soft glow of the setting sun creates a halo shaped fluorescence around Dani. Her shadow deepens on the other side of her tiny frame. Her blue becomes bemused and vivid. 

Jamie swears at this moment that Danielle Clayton is ethereal.

“Regret your choice of coming with me yet?”

“Haha, very funny.” Dani jokes opposite her. “In all seriousness, I’m glad I came. This is so beautiful, Jay.”

“I’m glad.” Jamie goes ahead and takes more pictures of the building. 

*Click* *Click* *Click* *Click* 

“So what brought you here to London?”

Dani pauses and exhales a breath she doesn’t know she was holding. She decides that in order to build an everlasting friendship with Jamie, she has to be truthful.

“Escape, mostly,” she murmurs, “Escape from being stuck living in a small town with small-minded people,” she distracts herself with the glass walls. “I lived in Iowa all my life. Was born there, grew up there, knew everyone there. My mom’s a huge bitch. Pressuring me a life I do not want. Blabbering about grand-children and husbands every second she gets. It is as though the whole purpose of being a woman is to fulfill their reproductive capabilities. It wasn’t fun being the joke of the town, not having found a husband at 18, having dreams of a career instead.” 

“It was suffocating, having to be someone I’m not. My mom….she arranged me into a marriage with a local boy. We had picked out a location, a dress,….a ring. There was no more college, no more teaching. Just plain old children and boredom. ” she finally looks at Jamie, dead in the eyes. Jamie stretches her arm, carefully placing her warm hand over hers, as if saying, I’m here.

“We can do boredom, yeah?”

This warrants her a soft laugh.

“Well, what about you, Jamie Taylor, with all the mysterious-ness and cool? You’re obviously not from here….”

Dani relieves the tense situation best she can, earning a huff and a sigh.

“Ah, okay. Was wonderin’ when that will come up,” a tiny smile is visible, “I’ll take a shot, I guess, why not?”

Jamie swiftly takes a sneaky photo.

*Click*

She’s met with a smile.

“So...Here goes….Mum was Louise. Dad was Dennis.”

She paces closer to Dani.

“She was 18 and he was 24. A year later came my brother Denny, not long after, me. Dennis had to find a better job and became a coal miner. He was deep 600 meters down and left Louise at home with the kids.” Jamie looks down at her shoes, pausing while processing the information she just told Dani. “Louise is a kid herself, and she does what kids do. She plays. All the while he’s down there, breathing all the dead things, Louise got pregnant. When he comes back up, they laugh at him. They know the Mikey wasn’t his.”

“He buried himself with work, and Louise fled. With no one to take care of us, I had to step up and do it myself. Did my all, but how could a kid take care of a kid? There was an accident and social services got involved. We were all separated and that…., Clayton was how I became orphan trash.”

Jamie tries to shrug it off with a smile but her pain sticks out like a sore thumb.

Dani storms up beside Jamie and re-assures her with a touch to her arm. Jamie knows in her arms’, she’s safe.

“Jamie…you’re….you’re not… you’re not orphan tra.” Dani starts. Jamie intervenes, not wanting pity. All people ever gave her was pity. 

“S’okay. Just not used to saying it out loud like that”

She wiggles out of Dani’s hold and goes back to focusing on her job. Dani is not convinced but lets it go. She goes back to roaming around the greenhouse. Away from Jamie, away from a growing love. 

“I look up to ya,” Jamie gushes, “You and your big dreams with teaching, huh, Poppins? How do you plan on herding the wee gremlins?”

“I’ve got tricks up my sleeve,” she plays, “besides, the “wee gremlins” are not so bad.”

It’s bad. Dani’s tip-top British accent is bad. (but endearing)

“Oi, tryna be cheeky are ya?” 

Dani bites her lip. She loves these banters with Jamie. 

Jamie spins her body to takes more pictures. 

*Click*

Secretly hoping that Dani doesn’t notice she’s been taking photos of her. 

*Click*

Blue.

You hide your pain behind the blue

*Click*

You maintain your sad behind the blue

*Click*

You surrender your love behind the blue

*Click*

I wish I was the blue

\-----------------------------------------

“Fuck! It’s raining! Come along, Poppins”

They zoom towards the exit. Jamie takes off her jacket, and shelters both her and Dani. Dani entwines their arms. The two women laugh and laugh, like little children playing out in the rain, stomping on puddles and mud. 

“I was not prepared for this,” Dani shouts, afraid Jamie can’t hear her through the loud rumble of the thunder.

“Neither am I!” 

Not far from the field, Dani points to a phone box. 

“Over there!”

They hurdle through the wind, fighting off being carried away. The rain pours heavier and heavier each second it passes. Dani opens the door to the tight box. She hopes that it would fit both of their bodies. 

When they manage to position themselves comfortably inside, it finally dawns upon both parties how close and soaked they are. She can feel Dani’s breath on her neck, panting hard. She becomes aware of their chests rising and falling at the same rhythm, the dripping of water from Dani’s hair onto her shoulder, and god awful plumpness of Dani’s lips. Dani bites her bottom lip, concluding that this moment is one from the movies. The same romantic movies she obsesses over as a child. The ones with Audrey Hepburn. She’s never paid much attention to the opposite sex characters, her eyes mainly focused on the Hollywood starlet. The way Jamie’s body is positioned against her allows her to contrast a parallel of one of those steamy kissing scenes. She remembers vividly the extreme lust and wants in their eyes, also ones she’s wearing, as of this moment. 

Jamie trails her eyes carefully onto Dani’s lips and back up. She pretends she doesn’t feel the peaking crescendo of the violin strings in her heart. It doesn’t help that Dani’s wearing a white t-shirt, her breasts becoming see-through from the pouring rain. She tries so hard not to look at the hard nipples, only being 0.02 mm away from her. She holds back the urge to touch, just a little bit. The panting doesn’t falter, it stays the same, and she knows exactly why. The same song in the car plays in her head. The familiar lyrics of Pale Blue Eyes. Memories of the moments they shared in the car come flushing back. The warmth of Dani’s touch, so soft and so tender against her sweaty palm. The crying of her soul, seeking out solace and validation, from the person she needs the most. No matter how bad she wants to, she can’t. Dani is straight. Dani is STRAIGHT. She’s STRAIGHT. Not repeating the same mistake she made all that long ago. 

Be still my beating heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! There will be more cute scenes in future chapters. Are they gonna kiss or what? ;)


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